Cowlishaw: What to expect in do-or-die Rangers-Rays Game 163

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Texas' Elvis Andrus, Alex Rios, Ian Kinsler, Craig Gentry, Leonys Martin and Adrian Beltre celebrate after the final out in their 6-2 win during the Los Angeles Angels vs. the Texas Rangers major league baseball game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Sunday, September 29, 2013. (Louis DeLuca/Dallas Morning News)

ARLINGTON — After 162 games, the red-hot Rangers have one more to play. Or — who knows? — it’s possible they have 21 games left to play.

Yes, the same Rangers who set a club record with a winless homestand here two weeks ago just won seven straight from the Astros and Angels. The unbeaten streak gives the Rangers one more chance to prove they belong in the postseason. Tampa Bay visits tonight at 7:07 p.m. with the winner going to Cleveland for Wednesday’s wild-card game.

Sunday’s game was do or die for Texas as the Rays and Indians posted victories before the Rangers’ game against the Angels was decided. Texas’ 6-2 win made Monday possible. Then Wednesday’s game — if the Rangers earn that trip — is also do or die.

That’s a whole lot of doing and dying in a short span, but the Rangers needed a 7-0 final homestand to stay alive.

“We feel like we’ve been playing Game 163 since we got back here this week,” said closer Joe Nathan, who saved MLB’s last 163rd game — a 6-5 Minnesota win over Detroit in 2009. He called that the most tension-filled game he’s ever been a part of.

Tonight could be more of the same. And if Nathan is called upon, it will be his fifth appearance in five days. The same is true for his set-up man, Tanner Scheppers.

But Tampa Bay’s bullpen is stretched awfully thin as well with closer Fernando Rodney (who lost that 163rd game to Nathan’s Twins in ’09) throwing 33 pitches in Toronto on Sunday.

Before we get to the overworked bullpens, though, it all starts with rookie Martin Perez against Tampa Bay’s ace, David Price. If that sounds like a mismatch, it isn’t.

Price won 20 games and was the AL’s Cy Young winner in 2012, but he was only 9-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 26 starts this season. He has been historically poor both in Rangers Ballpark (1-2 record, 10.26 ERA) and against Texas in the postseason (0-3).

And while technically this is not a playoff game, it will certainly have that feel.

Perez went 10-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 19 starts this season. He was as solid a starter as manager Ron Washington had at his disposal down the stretch. In 10 August and September starts, Perez was 7-2 with a 3.26 ERA.

His lack of big-game experience may not be an issue. We have learned as much from this Tampa Bay-Texas rivalry.

In 2011, Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon rolled the dice and went with a highly prized rookie with even less experience than Perez for Game 1 of the ALDS. Matt Moore pitched seven shutout innings, and the Rays won here, 9-0.

The funny thing is that there have been persistent rumors about the Rangers being interested in Price the last two years since cash-strapped Tampa Bay may need to trade him as early as this off-season before his arbitration figure goes beyond the Rays’ reach.

And frequently, those discussions have involved something along the lines of: Would you trade Jurickson Profar and Perez for Price?

Those talks are on hold. Now it’s all about Perez outpitching Price for one night and getting the Rangers a ticket to Cleveland.

“I don’t face David Price because he doesn’t hit,” Perez said. “I know this is an important game. I just plan to take advantage of it.”

The Rangers feel like they are the hotter team, having turned a two-game deficit to Tampa Bay into a tie over the weekend. But the Rays had run off seven straight wins before stumbling Friday and Saturday in Toronto.

Tampa Bay has the motivation to beat the team that ended its 2010 and 2011 seasons in division playoff series. The Rangers get a possible lift from the return of Nelson Cruz, the suspended slugger, who has been one of the main reasons Price has struggled against Texas.

If this isn’t a playoff game, it feels like the closest thing possible.